Michael McAleer

Motoring Editor, Innovation Editor and Assistant Business Editor at Irish Times

https://t.co/qXfHpTdJtd editor and Irish Times motoring editor. Opinions expressed are my own, though many are also stolen wholesale from much smarter people

Articles

600 apply for the 16 places on Trinity acting course that launched Paul Mescal's career

3 weeks ago | breakingnews.ie | Michael McAleer

Record numbers have applied this year for the 16-place acting programme at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) that helped launch the stellar career of Gladiator II star Paul Mescal. The Lir Academy on Thursday confirmed that it has received 600 applications for its prestigious Bachelor in Acting course—a record and a 10% increase on the 545 applications received last year. A spokeswoman for The Lir said: “We did see a surge in numbers after the success of Normal People.
Jury told to find Garda not guilty on five of 22 allegations related to motoring prosecutions

3 weeks ago | breakingnews.ie | Michael McAleer

A jury in the trial of a Limerick Garda accused of “sorting out” motoring offences for drivers were on Thursday directed by the trial judge to find him not guilty of some of the charges. Tom Flavin, (51), Rathkeale Garda Station, Co Limerick, should be acquitted of all of the charges as there is no real evidence against him, his barrister, senior counsel, Mark Nicholas, said in his closing speech to the jury.
JP Magnier handed €50,000 in 'brown' envelopes to estate agent in land sale, court hears

3 weeks ago | breakingnews.ie | Michael McAleer

The High Court has heard that billionaire bloodstock magnate John Magnier's son, JP, handed over two "brown" envelopes containing a total of €50,000 in cash to an estate agent involved in a failed €15 million property deal which were delivered to the beneficiaries of the estate as a show of "appreciation".
Supreme Court decision on compensation over power lines could affect thousands of landowners

3 weeks ago | breakingnews.ie | Michael McAleer

A Supreme Court decision that compensation can be awarded for depreciation of the value of lands due to having electricity power lines installed across them could potentially affect thousands of landowners.
'Author' of property fraud scheme faces prison term

3 weeks ago | breakingnews.ie | Michael McAleer

The “author” of a scheme which saw false deeds used to change the registered ownership of two properties in Dublin without their legitimate owners' knowledge has been told he faces a prison sentence of three years. Philip Marley (53) of Rathbourne Court, Ashtown, Dublin, pleaded guilty during a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial last November to procuring fraudulent entry into the Property Registration Authority's registry, deception and procuring the registration of a false deed.
Fiat’s Grande Panda is cheesy, cute and weirdly irresistible

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Michael McAleer

Fiat is hoping to create some “pandamonium” this summer. Apologies, but it’s hard to escape the portmanteau puns when you’re being spammed with them at a press conference, while videos in the background show 1990s singer Shaggy rapping about being “pandtastic”. It’s exceedingly cheesy but beguiling. As is the revival of the Panda – or in this case, the Grande Panda. We’re in the midst of a retro wave.
Nigel Canavan sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his mother

3 weeks ago | breakingnews.ie | Michael McAleer

The brother of a man who murdered their ailing 58-year-old mother in her own home has told the Central Criminal Court that "someone who should have protected" her had instead taken her life in the "most cruel, violent and sadistic way possible". In his victim impact statement on Tuesday, Angela Canavan's son Keith Canavan said his brother Nigel didn't just take their mother's life but had also tried to take her dignity in the way he had killed her "using the one method she feared the most".
New car sales up 2.4% this year driven by electric and hybrid growth

3 weeks ago | breakingnews.ie | Michael McAleer

New car sales are up 2.4 per cent so far this year, helped by a surge in sales of hybrid and electric cars. While petrol sales are down 13 per cent and diesel down 22 per cent, this contrasts with a growth of nearly 18 per cent in regular hybrids, a 23 per cent growth in EV sales and a 54 per cent rise in petrol plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
What every Irish driver should know - How to bring your dog in the car

3 weeks ago | breakingnews.ie | Michael McAleer

Bringing along your furry best buddy for a spin is something that pretty much all pet owners will do, but many may be breaking the law, because there is a legal requirement to make sure your dog is properly restrained if it’s in the car with you. Yes, that means a doggie seatbelt. These are simple enough devices that attach to the car’s seatbelt and then clip onto your dog’s harness — and a harness is definitely better than a collar in this instance.
Driving test backlog: Where to beat the queues

3 weeks ago | breakingnews.ie | Michael McAleer

The crisis in Irish driving tests rumbles on, with an average wait for a test now stretching out to 27 weeks on average, according to figures from the Department for Transport. In some cases, the wait has been known to go on for much longer, as long as 10 months. It’s leaving Irish learner drivers footing the bill for higher insurance costs as they wait to pass the test - or at least get the chance to do so. Some 68,000 people are currently waiting to take their test.